Just because you give up gluten doesn’t mean you must give up on your daily Starbucks. In this article, I share 90+ gluten-free items you can still order at Starbucks and what you should avoid. This post was updated in August 2023. Please see my disclosures.
If you’re following a gluten-free diet, free from wheat, rye, barley, and non-GF labeled oats, you might wonder what you can still eat and drink at Starbucks.
I get it. I love Starbucks. It’s the place to meet up with friends and colleagues. The prospect of having to give it up after getting diagnosed with celiac disease would have put me into depression.
The good news is that there are plenty of foods and beverages you can enjoy that are free from gluten at Starbucks.
And in this article, I list 90+ foods and beverages you can still enjoy despite being on a gluten-free diet, with a few caveats, of course.
Starbucks Is Not a Dedicated Gluten-Free Restaurant
Of course, when following a gluten-free diet, one must be careful not to consume gluten. While it’s easy to avoid products that contain gluten, it’s not so easy to avoid lurking cross-contamination.
Here are a few things to consider when enjoying a food or beverage at Starbucks:
- Starbucks is not a dedicated gluten-free facility; the only items guaranteed gluten-free are individually wrapped, labeled gluten-free, and sold at Starbucks.
- Starbucks says on its website that its staff “openly handles several allergens,” including dairy, soy, tree nuts, eggs, wheat, and others.
- While Starbucks says it takes precautions to keep ingredients safe, it says it cannot guarantee any food or beverage item is allergen-free since the staff uses shared equipment to store, prepare, and serve its products.
Avoiding Cross Contamination at Starbucks
Cross-contamination occurs when a gluten-free food or beverage comes in contact with a surface, hands, equipment, or other source that may be contaminated with gluten.
You can learn more about cross-contamination in this important article, Gluten Cross-Contamination: 10 Most Important Things You Need to Know.
Examples of shared equipment at Starbucks include the espresso machine steam wand, blender, toaster oven, and pastry case.
To protect yourself from cross-contamination, I suggest taking the following two steps:
Step #1: Examine the ingredient list and allergen disclosures for any item before placing your order, preferably before your visit.
The ingredients and disclosures can be found on the Starbucks website or inside the app on each menu item’s page.
Below is an example of the ingredient listing for one of Starbucks’ signature Frappuccino beverages.
If you see an ingredient that gives you pause, like natural flavors, feel free to email Starbucks to confirm whether the beverage is gluten-free or order something safer.
Remember, food and beverage items can vary from state to state and country to country. Starbucks is constantly adding seasonal items, too. Therefore, what’s gluten-free in the U.S. may not be considered gluten-free in Canada or the U.K. Check your country’s Starbucks website for details on your favorite beverages.
Step #2: Disclose your “allergy” to the server upon ordering. Ask the barista to wipe down all equipment used to make your drink. Ask them to wipe down the steam nozzle for an espresso drink. For a Frappuccino, ask them to thoroughly sanitize the blender before preparing your drink.
Does Starbucks Use Gluten-Free Oat Milk?
Starbucks offers the option for customers to use oat milk in any of its beverages. People on a gluten-free diet should consume oat milk cautiously due to the high risk of gluten contamination in oats.
If labeled gluten-free, oat milk is generally safe, but non-GF-labeled oat milk is not.
The good news is that Starbucks says it uses Oatly! oat milk inside its coffee shops. Oatly! is gluten-free.
However, some Starbucks may substitute another brand of oat milk. If they run out, they may even run to their local grocery store and buy oat milk. Be sure to inquire about the brand of oat milk used at that specific location before ordering a beverage with oat milk.
I recommend reading Is Oat Milk Gluten Free? where I discuss oat milk in detail and reveal how several oat milk brands performed when tested for hidden gluten using my Nima. Below, you can see that Oatly! oat milk did not contain hidden gluten, according to my Nima.
Gluten-Free Starbucks Beverages
Now that you know how to enjoy Starbucks safely, let’s discuss what drinks do not contain gluten and which do.
(1) Hot and Iced Espresso Drinks
In general, most hot and iced espresso drinks are gluten-free, including any of the following beverages:
Americanos
- Caffè Americano
Cappuccino
Espresso Shots
- Espresso
- Espresso Con Panna
Iced Shaken Espresso
- Iced Toasted Vanilla Oat Milk Shaken (contains oat milk)
- Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken
AVOID the Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso. It contains malt flavor from barley. Learn more about the perils of malt in my article, Beware of Malt and these 21 Potential Sources of Barley (Gluten).
Flat Whites
- Flat White
- Honey Almondmilk Flat White
Lattes
- Blonde Vanilla Latte
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte
- Caffè Latte
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
Photo: I tested Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte (2023) for hidden gluten using my Nima Sensor. Nima found no hidden gluten, as evidenced by the smiley face. For more information on this device, please read What You Need to Know About Nima Sensor Before You Buy – Perspective from a Celiac & Nutrition Professional.
Macchiatos
- Apple Crisp Oat Milk Macchiato
- Caramel Macchiato
- Espresso Macchiato
Mochas
- Caffè Mocha
- White Chocolate Mocha
Oleato
- Starbucks Oleato Caffè Latte beverages contain coffee infused with olive oil. All Oleto drinks are made with oat milk unless another milk is requested. Be sure to verify your Starbucks is using gluten-free oat milk.
(2) Brewed Hot Coffees
Starbucks’ freshly brewed coffee is 100% gluten-free and the least likely to be exposed to gluten cross-contamination. These brews may vary from location to location, but generally include:
- Blonde Roast
- Caffè Misto
- Clover Starbucks Reserve Vietnam Da Lat
- Pike Place Roast (medium roast) – regular and decaf
- Sumatra (dark roast)
(3) Cold Brews
Most Starbucks’ cold brewed coffees are gluten-free, including the following beverages:
- Cold Brewed Latte
- Nitro Cold Brew
- Nitro Cappuccinos
- Nitro Lattes
- Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
- Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Nitro Cold Brew
The Chocolate Cream Cold Brew is NOT gluten-free; it contains malt flavor from barley.
(4) Frappuccino Blended Beverages
While Frappuccinos are one of my favorite Starbucks beverages, it’s also the most risky in terms of its risk for potential gluten cross-contamination.
While several of Starbucks’ famous blended beverages are gluten-free, some are not, which can lead to confusion and cross-contamination hot spots.
As mentioned previously, be sure to disclose your allergy to your server and request they use a blender that has been thoroughly sanitized, not just rinsed, between uses to reduce your risk of gluten exposure.
The following Frappuccinos are made without gluten ingredients:
- Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino
- Caramel Frappuccino
- Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino
- Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino
- Chai Creme Frappuccino
- Coffee Frappuccino
- Espresso Frappuccino
- Matcha Creme Frappuccino
- Mocha Frappuccino
- Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino
- Pumpkin Spice Creme Frappuccino
- Strawberry Creme Frappuccino
- Vanilla Bean Creme Frappuccino
- White Chocolate Creme Frappuccino
Several Frappuccino beverages contain gluten and should be avoided, including:
- Apple Crisp Oatmilk Frappuccino (the caramelized sugar contains wheat)
- Apple Crisp Oatmilk CremeFrappuccino (the caramelized sugar contains wheat)
- Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frappuccino (contains wheat)
- Chocolate Cookie Crumble Crème Frappuccino (contains wheat)
- Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino (contains wheat)
- Java Chip Frappuccino (contains wheat)
- Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino (contains wheat)
The main issue (but not the only issue) with most of these drinks is the chips and inclusions, which contain wheat. A good rule of thumb is to avoid any beverage that includes cookies and chocolate chips.
(5) Teas
All Starbucks teas are gluten-free; some tea may contain milk. Beware of those that contain oat milk, as mentioned previously.
You can enjoy hot and cold teas at Starbucks. The flavors and varieties will vary from location to location. At my local Starbucks, I was able to find the following teas, all free from gluten:
Chai Teas
- Chai tea
- Chai tea latte
Black Teas
- Earl Grey
- Teavana London Fog Tea Latte
- Royal English Breakfast Tea
- Royal English Breakfast Tea Latte
Green Teas
- Emperor’s Clouds & Mist
- Matcha Tea Latte
- Honey Citrus Mint Tea
- Jade Citrus Mint Brewed Tea
Herbal Teas
- Mint Majesty
- Peach Tranquility
(6) Refreshers & Lemonades
The following Refreshers and Lemonades are made without gluten:
- Dragon Drink Refresher
- Frozen Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade
- Frozen Strawberry Acai Lemonade
- Frozen Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade
- Lemonade, iced
- Mango Dragonfruit Refresher
- Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade
- Paradise Drink Refresher
- Pineapple Passionfruit Refresher
- Pineapple Passionfruit Lemonade
- Pink Drink Refresher
- Strawberry Acai Refresher
- Strawberry Acai Lemonade Refresher
- Strawberry Lemonade, blended
(7) Hot Chocolates
You can enjoy the following hot chocolate beverages, all made without gluten:
- Classic Hot Chocolate
- Hot White Chocolate
(8) Hot Juices
You can enjoy the following juices that are made without gluten:
- Caramel Apple Spice
- Steamed Apple Juice
(9) Steamers
The following beverages are made with steamed milk and are free from gluten:
- Pumpkin Spice Creme
- Steamed Milk
- Vanilla Creme
(10) Flavorings and Whipped Cream
Most of Starbucks flavorings appear to be free from gluten, including:
- Almond
- Caramel
- Caramel drizzle
- Cinnamon
- Hazelnut
- Mocha drizzle
- Peppermint
- Vanilla
The whipped cream and soya whipped cream are free from gluten, too.
Gluten-Free Foods at Starbucks
If you’re looking for food at Starbucks, I might suggest looking elsewhere. However, in a pinch, a few foods can tie you over.
Keep in mind, however, that Starbucks no longer offers gluten-free breakfast sandwiches. Many articles you find online are outdated, so I want to set the record straight.
In 2017, you could order a hot gluten-free breakfast sandwich (pictured below). However, a year later, Starbucks discontinued the gluten-free sandwiches, citing “low sales.”
(11) Sous Vide Egg Bites
Starbuck’s Sous Vide Egg Bites are made without gluten and include the following varieties:
- Kale & Mushroom Egg Bites
- Bacon & Gruyere Egg Bites
- Egg White & Roasted Red Pepper Egg Bites
If the server is heating them, ask her to change gloves and place a paper under them in the oven to protect them from touching surfaces previously used to prepare foods containing gluten.
(12) Avocado Spread
The avocado spread comes in a small sealed container and contains only avocados, sea salt, onion, garlic, jalapeno, and lime juice. If you can find a bag of chips to go with it, you have yourself a worthy snack.
(13) String Cheese
The string cheese is not labeled gluten-free but contains no gluten ingredients.
(14) Marshmallow Dream Bar
The Marshmallow Dream Bar comes pre-packaged and is certified gluten-free. I tested it for hidden gluten using my Nima Sensor. Nima didn’t find any gluten.
(15) Various Packaged Foods
Starbucks carries various brand-name packaged foods, which can change from year to year, season to season, and store to store.
Some gluten-free packaged foods spotted at Starbucks in 2023 include the following.
- Evolution Cold Press Juices and Smoothies
- Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups
- KIND Bars
- Perfect Bars
- Petter Rabbit Organics Strawberry Banana Squeeze
- That’s It Bars
Be sure to read labels carefully to ensure the product is either labeled gluten-free or contains no gluten ingredients.
In the past, Starbucks carried Goodie Girl Cookies, Siggi’s yogurt, and various other items.
Foods to Avoid
Avoid these food items at Starbucks:
Breakfast Sandwiches: All breakfast sandwiches contain gluten.
Oats and Granola: Starbucks does not use gluten-free oats or granola, so parfaits and other items that contain these ingredients should be avoided.
Pastries: All pastries contain gluten.
Protein Boxes: All the current protein boxes appear to contain wheat crackers and should be avoided.
Additional Reading
If you enjoyed this article, you might also enjoy the following articles:
- Is Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Gluten-Free? Let’s Test It To Find Out
- Is Bubble Tea Gluten-Free?
- Is Coffee Gluten Free?
- A Closer Look at Caribou Coffee’s Gluten-Free Options
- Beware of Malt and these 21 Potential Sources of Barley (Gluten)
- The Ultimate Guide to Eating Out Gluten-Free (download)
New to Gluten-Free? If you’re new to a gluten-free lifestyle, I highly recommend enrolling in my SIGNATURE Gluten-Free Course. It will help you quickly get up to speed on gluten-free living and learn how to eat out like an expert.
Interested in getting a Nima Sensor? Read my article, What You Need to Know About Nima Sensor Before You Buy – Perspective from a Celiac & Nutrition Professional.
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Thanks for your question Lisa. I discuss cross contamination in detail and how to mitigate the risk in the article. It’s always a risk in a shared kitchen, but I personally think it’s a low risk when approached right.
What is your take on cross contamination with products at Starbucks since some have gluten and some don’t. like is it celiac safe to have their hot chocolate if it’s made in containers that also make gluten products.
Hi! Thanks for the article and careful research. I made sure to check everything and Sbux now uses Oatly Barista Edition. According to Oatly, it is gluten free. Something in it still bugged my stomach. I am not allergic/celiac. Small amounts are ok, but apparently not a grande.
Dairy contains a protein called casein that is hard to digest (and gluten, too, is a hard-to-digest protein too). Thanks for your comment. If they take out the cheese make sure they use clean hands and tongs to keep your sandwich GF and safe.
Good tips. Thank you.
Sometimes your body thinks cheese is gluten. I have them take out the cheese in the breakfast sandwich. I also have steamer drinks using alternative milks.
Really good to know. Thank you!
I tested the bacon gruyere sous vide and got a gluten result. Definitely not worth risking!